Order 66-Survivors
by FalloutRanger
Summary: Order 66 has decimated the Jedi Order. Many have fallen, but for a group of young Padawans, the war has only just begun.
1. Chapter 1

The Jedi Temple stood still as I walked the halls, passing through the archway into the residential area. Only a few Knights and Padawans were up this late; talking amongst themselves and the Temple Guards who stood their watch. Nodding my head in respect to the knights I passed, I ran a hand through my hair; my fingers brushing past my braid. Memories rushed through my mind at that point, even as I tried my best to block them.

 _Master Quin, his robes bellowing in the wind as he stood tall, his lightsaber held aloft as he waved his troopers into battle. Cries of the wounded and dying somehow louder than the actual sound of blasters and explosions. I gripped my lightsaber so hard I could see my hand shaking. I swallow, my throat dry as I gathered my courage and charged forward with my squad of troopers. Then darkness as the Separatists blasted our whole unit with artillery._

"Padawan!"

I turned to see a man running towards me, his dark brown robes flapping in the wind as he ran, his lightsaber clutched in his hand as he skidded to a stop. His olive skin was stained with soot and his robes were burned in multiple places. I didn't understand why his robes were in such a state. Mendiola was my roommate's Master and so I knew him from association, but why he was calling me was odd. Two other padawans ran behind him; their sabers activated and blades raised as they turned to face the way they came.

"Master Mendiola? What is going on?" I asked, pushing myself off of the wall I had collapsed against when the Force vision hit me. That's when I felt the Temple shudder violently and I had to reach out and grab a pillar.

"Master what is happening?" I asked as the sound of blasters began to echo down the halls.

Master Mendiola grabbed me by the shoulder and shoved me forward. "Run! Where is your roommate, padawan?"

Breaking into a run with him, I glanced behind me at the two padawans with us. One of them was human like me, but the other was a female Miraluka; her long black hair was singed from force knows what.

"H-he's in our room, but what is going on? Why are your sabers activated?" I questioned as we rushed into my quarters; light flooding the small room as the sensors recognized us.

"Meh…What?" My roommate rose from his bed as we rushed inside. The two padawans took up positions on either side of the door as Master Mendiola locked the door and walked to the bed; pulling my Zabrak friend out of his bed and onto the floor.

"Ow, Master what is the meaning of this?" He asked, rubbing his elbow before standing and pulling on his pants.

"Moran, my young padawan, we must leave." Master Mendiola said as he stared down at Moran and I. "We have been betrayed from the inside."

"Betrayed?!" I shouted, taking a step forward, but Moran stopped me by a hand on my chest. Glancing at him, I pushed his hand off of me. "How?"

"The Clones have risen against us and are cutting down the Jedi as we speak. We must flee while the hanger is still under our control. Pack your things and follow me."

Moran immediately grabbed his satchel and began throwing things into it at random it seemed. I just stood dumbfounded as I looked from Master Mendiola and the others. Striding over to my bed, Mendiola reached under the bed and grabbed my pack and threw it at me.

Catching it, I sighed and began to add a few more things to the satchel. My things had already been packed and I caught Mendiola's stern gaze as he looked down at me. Nodding his head, he went to the door as I reached under my pillow and pulled my prized possession from it. The cool metal felt odd against my skin as I buckled it to my belt beside my lightsaber.

Slinging my pack onto my back, I turned to look at Moran; his gaze drilling into me. I hung my head as the temple shook again. He brushed past me and joined the others at the door; Mendiola peeking outside the door before waving us forward and breaking into a run towards the hanger.

"You were really going to do it, huh?" Moran asked as we ran, passing blaster marks and bodies…too many bodies. "Answer me, you were going to leave the Order like Tano weren't you?"

Jumping over the corpse of a clone, I looked over at him. "I think that it is a little late to be having this conversation, Moran. We seem to have bigger things going on!"

We rounded the corner and skidded to a halt as a trio of clones turned to face us with blasters raised. Mendiola pushed us behind him and raised his hand towards the clones; walking slowly towards them only for the clones to raise their blasters.

"Troopers, lower your weapons, that is an order!" Mendiola shouted, his eyes shifting from one trooper to the next.

The commander of the troopers stepped forward and raised his blaster to his shoulder. "You're not in charge anymore. By order of the Chancellor, you are under arrest and must- "

The trooper never finished his sentence due to Mendiola's saber slicing through his neck and severing his head from his shoulders. Before the man even collapsed, he sprung forward and sliced his blade across the chest of the trooper closest to him. Pivoting and thrusting, the last trooper cried out in agony as the superheated plasma burned his lower abdomen.

"Let's go!" Mendiola stepped over the bodies and turned to corner only for us to see that the hanger bay was under intense fire.

We rushed forward, force leaping over the heads of the troopers, deflecting stray bolts as we did. We managed to get behind the hastily built barricades; my chest heaving as blaster bolts continued to rain down on our position.

"Master Jedi!" A temple guard slid on his knees beside Mendiola; his arm in a sling and his remaining hand clutching a blaster pistol. "We've got most of the younglings out on the transports except we're missing a large group that was led to the Council Chamber."

I glanced to the man and then to Master Mendiola. "We have to go get them then!"

"No, they're lost. The clones have taken the Temple. Our only hope for the Order is to escape." Mendiola sighed as he peeked over the barricade. "Moran, go and prep the ship for launch. You two, go with him."

The other two padawans nodded and left; leaving beside the master and the guard as he rose to fire a few shots towards the advancing clones. I rose to go with the others only for Mendiola to grab me by the arm and pull me down.

"Merric, I know what you were planning and I know why; but it is time for you to trust in the Force and to let it guide you." Mendiola said as he ducked down, a blaster bolt glancing by his head. "This war is over, but a new one is beginning. Captain!"

"Sir!" The guard-captain responded, his face streaked with sweat and blood. Mendiola pulled his lightsaber from his robes and turned it around in his hands before sighing and holding it out towards me.

"Master?" I looked at him with question before he pushed it into my hands. "You need this."

"I'm not coming; I'm staying behind to keep the clones busy until you've escaped with the others. Take the ship and give my saber to Moran; he needs to know that I wanted him to have it." Mendiola explained as he pulled a shoto lightsaber from his robes; blade igniting as he looked at me, the blue of the blade casting an eerie glow on his face.

"Master, please we need you!" I pleaded with him as he stood and began to deflect bolts back into the advancing clones. I ignited my own blade and stood by his side and batted bolts back at the traitorous troopers; hissing as a bolt grazed my arm.

"GO!" Master Mendiola thrust his hand forward and, with the Force, pushed me across the floor; towards his ship. Clutching my arm, I struggled to my feet and watched with hope as another Jedi leapt over the barricade and landed behind Master Mendiola.

His hood fell from his face and the face of the Hero of the Clone Wars stared back at me. I grinned, knowing that we would be safe now.

"Master Skywalker!" I took a step forward only to stop before I saw the look in his eyes. They were not normal…they were yellow and I sensed evil permeating from him. And I sensed it too soon.

With a vicious swing of his saber, Master Skywalker cut through the body of the captain; cutting him from shoulder to hip. I reignited my blade and leapt forward; thrusting my blade and parried Skywalker's blade from cutting down Master Mendiola. I gasped as Master Skywalker's boot slammed into my stomach; knocking me back to the ground.

Master Mendiola spun and locked blades with the Master Skywalker. "You've betrayed the Order and all it stands for, Skywalker! We trusted you and you betrayed us!" Shoving his weight forward, Master Mendiola used the Force to send Skywalker flying into the barricade.

"Go now!" Mendiola shouted, turning his head towards me. I rushed to my feet and sprinted towards the Mendiola's ship; running up the ramp and into the ship.

The main corridor led me straight to the cockpit where I found Moran hunched over the controls as the ship's engines hummed to life and the ship began to lift from the ground.

"Master, we're ready to go. What…Where's Master Mendiola?" Moran questioned as he turned to me, his eyes looking from the blaster wound to my eyes as the ship's autopilot began turning the ship towards the exit.

I nodded with my head towards the viewport and we both watched as the clones began to pile over the barricade and engaged the remaining temple guards. I felt each life pass to the Force as they were cut down; clone and guard alike.

Two blue blades stood out amongst the red blaster bolts passing back and forth. I watched as Master Mendiola battled Skywalker in the midst of the chaos. Skywalker was gaining ground as he slashed through Master Mendiola's guard; cutting into his shoulder. Moran shouted at his master as the autopilot began to send us out into the city and atmosphere.

Moran stood to leave, but I grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved him back into his seat; looking at him with sorrow in my face as we watched helplessly as Skywalker slide past Master Mendiola's defense one last time and his blade slide into Moran's master's stomach.

Tears streamed down Moran's face as he watched his master fall to the ground and we passed from view; the ship rocketing into the sky. I slid into the copilot's seat and took over the controls; sending the ship into an arc as we weaved through the traffic of the planet.

We passed through the atmosphere quickly and with a few simple commands I prepped the ship for hyperspace…I had no clue where we were going so I only typed in random commands. Reaching forward, I grasped the throttle in sweaty hands; glancing over at my only friend left alive in the galaxy.

"Moran…" I muttered, begging him to say something, but he only continued to hang his head in his hands. Turning back to the emptiness of space, I took a deep breath and pushed the throttle forward; sending us into hyperspace. "May the Force be with us."


	2. Chapter 2

Hyperspace-The Sparrow

I sat in the galley, my head in my hands as I stared down at the projection on the Newsnet about the destruction of the Jedi Temple and killing of the Jedi Order members. Accused of betrayal, the news said, as the Twilek reporter stated at the scene; the Temple burning behind her.

Taking another datapad in my hand, I scanned the list I had made since we escaped; something to get my mind off the past few hours. Scanning it with a discerning eye; I made a few minor adjustments before reviewing it again.

Moran, my only friend, was still in the cockpit with the ship's R2 unit trying to figure out where we were heading to. The ship navigation computer had sent us to a random destination and so far we have been unsuccessful in finding the exact destination. He was still coming to terms with the death of his master and locked himself inside; keeping me in the galley to my thoughts.

The other human, Dax Hoben, busied himself in the small kitchen of the ship. He had been the most talkative during our flight from Coruscant and tried to keep the mood cheery despite the loss we have all suffered. The young man quietly placed a cup of hot caf in front of me and I thanked him with a slight nod. Grinning, he turned back to his task, humming to himself.

Then there was the Miraluka, Eve Rushon, she silently drifted from room to room on the ship as she trailed her fingers along the hull of the ship. When I had asked her about it she simply told me she was trying to understand the echoes coming from it. Shaking my head, I left her to it. She was a curious one for sure as she had taken ahold of my lightsaber from its place beside me and stared at it…or I thought she was staring at it; she was the only Miraluka I had ever been close to.

"Merric, you're a guardian right?" Dax asked, turning as he stirred some eggs in a pan before placing it back onto the stove. "Been outside the Temple and served with the Clones?"

Raising my head, I nodded before looking back at my datapad. "I served with the 212th and the 314th for a while with my…with my master. Why do you ask?"

Shrugging his shoulders as he divided the food onto different plates; he carried three over and placed them on the table. He shoveled some food into his mouth, chewing quickly and swallowing before speaking again. "I never got to leave the Temple on a mission so I have no experience really with the Clones…I'm just trying to figure out what happened. Sadly, I was slated for the Agriculture Corps before this all happened. What do you think it is?"

Setting my pad down, I speared some of the eggs and ate more slowly than Dax; savoring the bite. I hummed in satisfaction as the hot food slid down my throat, pleasantly surprised at the rich taste. "Haven't you read the news, we're traitors to the Republic."

Setting my fork down, I sighed, running a hand over my closely cropped hair. "I dunno really. Most of the clones I worked with were very supportive of the Jedi and I enjoyed working with them…maybe the Council did something without the rest of us knowing."

"It wasn't the Council."

Turning in my chair, I watched as Eve walked into the galley and sat beside me; pulling the third plate towards her and began eating. Dax and I were silent as we waited for her to speak, but we only heard her chew and her fork clanking on the plate.

"Well, if it wasn't the Council then who was it?" Dax pondered out loud as he drank from his cup. "The Senate?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I cleaned my plate before standing and placing it into the cleaner. I gathered the remaining eggs and added it to a plate and left the two to their own conversation; one sided as it was. Striding down the corridor to the cockpit, I was surprised to see the hatch was open and I could see Moran leaning back in the pilot's chair; watching the blue streaks of light pass the viewports. The R2 unit was interfacing with the nav computer and turned its head as I walked in; his voice modulator humming.

"Hey, bud, you need to eat something." I said, placing the plate on the console as I sat in the copilot's seat. "You doing ok?"

Moran said nothing as he took the plate into his lap and began to stab at the food in disinterest. I watched, hopeful, that some of the food made it into his stomach before I turned to the R2 unit.

"R2, have you figured out our destination?"

"Tatooine." I turned to Moran, his voice low as the console lit up his horns and face. "The droid is plotting our final approach now."

"Why Tatooine?" I asked, wondering why we would go to the barren planet. "There's nothing there but sand and Tusken Raiders."

"I don't know, but the route was already plotted…Master Mendiola must have already set it up before he came back for us." Moran explained, his teeth clamping down on the fork. "He could have escaped, but he had to come back for us. We killed him."

"Master Mendiola cared about you Moran and he wanted us all to live; that doesn't mean that we killed him. Skywalker did that." I told him, placing a hand on his shoulder while reaching into my robe and feeling the cold metal of Mendiola's lightsaber. "I…Mendiola wanted you to have this…he knew what he was getting into."

I pressed the saber into Moran's hands before standing to leave. "I want revenge, Merric." I turned and looked down at the form of my friend; his hands gripping the lightsaber with a death-grip so tight his knuckles were white. "I want to kill Skywalker for what he has done to us."

Sighing, I folded my arms behind my back, like my master always did when he taught me. "Then eat and save your strength because we are going to need to be prepared for what is coming next."

Striding out of the cockpit, I sensed the hate brewing in Moran's mind, but I was down the corridor and couldn't hear him mutter something under his breath."

"I will kill them all."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tatooine-Three Weeks Later

Swinging myself over the ledge of the tower, I used the Force to soften my landing before sprinting after my bounty; the Rodian throwing crates and baskets behind him. Leaping over a pile of crates and past the shouting shop vendor; I drew my blaster and pointed it towards the Rodian.

"Stop, blast it!"

The Rodian replied only by pulling his own blaster and firing towards me. Cursing as I dodged the bolts, I squeezed off a shot and cursed again as the bolt ricocheted off a stone building. Shaking my head, I slipped the blaster back into my holster and added a little Force into a jump and tackled the alien to the ground; his blaster sliding away from him.

Rolling over, the alien slammed his fist into my face and I responded by crashing my elbow into his face, followed by my forehead. Luckily, it worked out by knocking the Rodian out cold. Standing up, I groaned, rubbing my head.

"God, no one wins with a head-butt." I said, bending down to pick up the Rodian and slinging him over my shoulder. The crowds of aliens and humans grew a bit bigger as I tried to make my way through the crowd. "Bounty hunter business, back up."

Most of the crowd dispersed pretty quickly since this type of thing was common in Mos Eisley and after being here for almost a month; I had become part of the everyday occurrence. Even the Stormtroopers passed me without saying a word to me; yet I still pulled my scarf up to cover my mouth and face.

Though a month has passed, I still saw wanted signs for escaped Jedi and associates of them. We, the crew of the Sparrow, had to be careful that we didn't make too much ruckus or else the people would end up turning us over to the Empire. Shaking my head, I turned into the cantina and made my way past a few unsavory characters, most staring greedily at my bounty as I passed.

"Ho, ho, ho…young Merric, you decide to grace me with your presence." A booming voice greeted me as I threw the Rodian onto the floor. Crossing my arms, I stared up at the Hutt that took up the entire back wall of the cantina. "Oh, you bring me my little snitch."

"I don't care what he's done, Jabba, just pay me and I'll be on my way." I told him, staring the giant worm down as he began to laugh in his deep, haunting way.

"Oh, very well, human. Droid!" My translator buzzed as a droid came shuffling forward with a case of credits inside. Not trusting the Hutt as far as I could throw him, even with the Force, I opened the small case and counted the credit chits. Seeing that everything was in order, I snapped it shut and slid the case into my jacket.

"Nice, doing business Jabba." I said, turning to leave. "Last business ever actually."

"They all say that." The droid muttered in sorrow as it returned to Jabba's side.

Xxxxxx

Walking inside of the Sparrow, I clapped Dax on the shoulder before passing Eve, who was sitting on the floor meditating. The former turned from his cooking food and smiled big, his white teeth shining bright against his dark skin.

"So?"

"I got it." Reaching into my jacket, I pulled the credit case and set it on the counter. "The last credits we need to get off this rock and find ourselves somewhere safer."

"Wahoo! No more cooking in dirty cantinas!" Dax shouted, twirling around in a circle. "You hear that, Eve?"

Smirking, she cocked her head to the side. "Kind of hard not to with you shouting so much. Merric, you think we'll really be safer off Tatooine?"

Shrugging my jacket off, I laid it beside the credits and sat down heavily into one of the chairs. Looking at my two friends, I could sense their hesitation in leaving. The Empire barely had a presence here compared to the rest of the galaxy and we could be in more danger if we left. Yet, the bounty hunters and thieves that called this planet home were just as dangerous.

"I think it is for the best, but what…Moran, what the hell?"

I watched as a young twilek woman strode through the galley; what could barely be called clothes covering her, and walked right out of the ship. Dax absently scratched his head before turning to his cooking while Eve just continued to sit there with a blush forming on her face.

"You knew?" I asked, standing up. "You knew and let it happen?"

"Oh, come on Merric. Don't go all Jedi on us." Dax muttered as he stirred the food before turning. "Nothing holds us to our oaths anymore. Moran said so."

Running my hand across my face, I looked down at Eve expecting her to say something only for her to sigh and shrug her shoulders. Snorting in disbelief, I walked past them and into the crew quarters that Moran had taken over.

"Look, I said to leave…oh, it's you. What's up?" Moran said as he tugged his boots on. "You look mad."

"Mad is about the half of it!" I said fuming, I pointed out the door. "That is a security risk, Moran!"

"Oh, come off it, she's just a dancer!" Moran said as he reached down and buckled his holster on, with both lightsabers tapping against his thigh. "Would've expected you to start spouting off something about the Code and all, but relax she's-

"Merric!"

Rushing out the door, I found Dax pointing at the security monitor before running towards the cockpit. Gazing at the monitor, I watched the twilek point to our ship before being handed something. I groaned when I realized who she sold us out to. Stormtroopers, of course…

"Dax! Get us ready to fly!" I shouted as I ran through the cargo bay to the ramp.

"What do you think I'm doing?!" He shouted back, his voice echoing down the hall.

"Moran, get to the turret, you dumb bastard and keep the heavies off us! Eve, we got to keep them from boarding." I pulled my blaster and immediately sent a bolt into the chest of a stormtrooper who had made it to the ramp. Rushing down the ramp, I rolled behind a pile of cargo boxes and stood up firing at the incoming troopers.

Eve slid to the ramp entry and shouldered her blaster rifle, the same model used by the troopers and began firing wildly. Blasters were so not her strong suit but it kept the trooper's heads down. Blaster bolts began to fly back and forth as Moran managed to get the ship's turret operating and firing at the more distant troopers, but three managed to get in close and surprise me.

Hissing as a bolt knocked my pistol out of my hand, I cursed Moran as the three troopers aimed directly at me, forming a semicircle. I raised my hands slowly and looked over to Eve who was still busy firing at the other troopers to notice my predicament.

"Hands up." One of them shouted with his blaster. I quirked an eyebrow and looked up at my already raised hands in question. "You're under arrest for assisting a Jedi fugitive."

The trooper took a step forward before I grinned darkly. "Oh, I'm not just assisting a Jedi." I lunged forward and pulled my lightsaber from my back and cut the trooper down in one fell swoop before pivoting towards the other two.

"He's a Jedi!" One shouted as he began opening fire. The Stormtroopers were even dumber than I previously thought as I deflected one bolt back into its owner before spinning and thrusting my blade deep into the last one's armor. My nose cringed at the smell of burning flesh before I summoned my blaster to my hand and ran back to the Sparrow.

Eve stopped firing only for me to board before opening fire again. "Dax! now would be a very good time to leave!"

"On our way!" Dax's sounded from the inside of the ship. The Sparrow rapidly lifted off and soared out of the space port.

Grasping for a handhold, I reached down and pulled Eve close to me to keep her from falling out of the ship. She shouted as the wind tore at our eardrums before I used the Force to activate the lever to close the ramp; sealing the ship just as we entered the upper atmosphere.

"Everyone is in…right?" Dax said from the cockpit over the intercom. "Hello?"

Looking down at Eve, I actually began laughing and she couldn't help but to join in with me. Pulling myself away from her, I led the way to the cockpit where I found Moran at the copilot's seat with his boots up on the controls. He turned and grinned before I slapped him in the back of his head, being mindful of his horns.

"Blast it, what was that for?" He sputtered as he stood up.

"Really want to know?"

Moran opened his mouth and then closed it, sighing as he really realized what happened. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he kicked at the floor like a youngling being disciplined.

"I'm sorry, Merric…Everyone. I messed up." He admitted, barely raising his eyes to me. "It won't happen again."

"Good, that's settled then. Now, where to?" Dax interrupted, looking back at us. I sighed, knowing my long discussion with Moran was at an end before it even began.

Looking to the crew, I shrugged my shoulders. The others just looked around until Eve took a step forward a spoke a single word.

"Alderaan."


End file.
